Participants mingle at LAVA’s Elevator Pitch Contest Thursday at Fuller Lodge. Courtesy photo
LeAnne Parsons, left, won a $500 ‘Audience Choice’ award and Prisca Tiasse won a $500 ‘First-timer’ award. Courtesy photo
From left, Mandy Marksteiner won the $500 ‘Most Amusing’ award and LeeAnne Parsons won the $500 ‘Audience Award’ pose with LAVA Founder Nik Seets. Courtesy photo
BUSINESS News:
Duncan McBranch announced the winners of the Los Alamos Venture Accelerator’s Elevator Pitch Contest at the 2014 LANL Feynman Awards held Thursday afternoon at historic Fuller Lodge.
The winners are:
Hunter McDaniel is the winner of the $500 ‘Judges Choice’ award. Courtesy photo
LANL Feynman Center of Innovation “Judge’s Choice” $500 award: Hunter McDaniel with UBIQD LLC
LANL Community Programs Office “Audience Choice” $500 award: LeAnne Parsons with LEGACY NOW LIVED
SIVI Most Amusing $500 award: Mandy Marksteiner with GAG GIFTS FOR DADS
LACDC First-timer $500 award: Prisca Tiasse with BIODACT, COMMUNITY LAB
19 local entrepreneurs competed in the event, including:
- Ruby Alexander of Ruby K’s Bagel Cafe
- Jane Barnes of Alga Star/Biostim
- Jason Cox of Boozhound Laboratories
- Jimmy Devenport of Wireless Internet
- Brenda Fleming of Brenda Fleming Graphic Design
- Michelle Harkey of Body Connection Coach
- Ollie Lo of Los Alamos Coding Dojo
- Mandy Markesteiner of Gag Gifts for Dads
- Hunter McDaniel of UBIQD LLC
- Rick Nebel of Tibbar Technologies
- Leanne Parsons of Legacy Now Lived
- Rachel Pearson of Castingwords.com
- Allen Saenz of Los Alamos Network
- Prisca Tiasse of Biodidact, Community Lab
- Louis Vernon of Los Alamos Coding Dojo
- Heath Wade of Chameleon Golfing
- Cyndi Wells of Pet Pangaea
- Gary Xie of Daisy Chain
- Tianmei Yang of ColdSwitching.com
Four leaders in the Los Alamos business community judged the contest:
Duncan McBranch, LANL Chief Technology Officer
Shandra Clow, LANL Feynman Center for Innovation
Carol A. Clark, Publisher/Editor, Los Alamos Daily Post
Eric Fairfield, Mentor/advisor/serial entrepreneur
LAVA: The Los Alamos Venture Accelerator (LAVA) is a virtual accelerator and learning tool for entrepreneurs, as well as a growing business community in Los Alamos. Nicholas Seet’s company, SIVI Corporation, created the LAVA platform. The Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation made it possible for LAVA to be uniquely tailored for Los Alamos. Visit their website at lava.guru.
